While the Black Cats couldn’t be too much worse off in terms of league position, the on-loan Bournemouth striker’s goals have been crucial in keeping them in touch with the sides scrapping at the bottom of the Championship.

Rumours that Bournemouth could recall the 29-year-old in January - either to play him in the first team or to cash in on his form and sell him - have caused alarm bells to ring on Wearside.

Lewis Grabban celebrates (Image: Sunderland AFC)

There was talk that Championship rivals Wolves and Fulham could be interested in his services – and it’s no surprise when you examine his stats for the season so far.

For not only is Grabban out-performing most Championship strikers, but the forward is also ahead of the Premier League’s top guns when it comes to shots per goal.

Grabban’s 11 league goals for Sunderland this season have come from just 34 shots, that’s a health ratio of 3.01 shots per goal.

That puts him ahead of seven of the Premier League’s leading goalscorers this season, with only Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling boasting a better figure.

Of course the big names would point out that they are facing Premier League defences and some of the best goalkeepers in the world week-in, week-out, but the fact Grabban scores with so few shots is a major plus for Sunderland.

Grabban also comes out well when compared against his fellow Championship strikers. He is joint second-top goalscorer, of course, but his shots-per-goal ratio is only beaten by Sheffield United hotshot Leon Clarke and Derby’s Matej Vydra at the very top of the second tier’s leading marksmen.

Sunderland were linked with several strikers last summer, but significantly Grabban’s stats are streets ahead of two of the men who could have wearing the red-and-white stripes this season.

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Preston’s Jordan Hugill was a target for Simon Grayson, but the forward only has six goals from 33 shots, while former Black Cats Daryl Murphy’s seven goals have come from 40 shots – although one of those came at the Stadium of Light in Nottingham Forest’s win back in September.